01
die Keule
leg
The thigh of a slaughtered animal, especially poultry, lamb, or game, as a piece of meat.
example
Zu Weihnachten gibt es bei uns traditionell eine Gänsekeule.
At Christmas, we traditionally have a goose leg.
die Keule
leg / club
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Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context: in the kitchen it is about meat (m01), in history about a weapon (m02), and in discussions about an exaggerated measure (m03).
EXAMPLE
Für das Festessen habe ich eine Lammkeule gekauft.
I bought a leg of lamb for the festive meal.
Typical collocations
As a cut of meat, 'Keule' (leg) is almost always combined with the name of the animal. Typical examples are 'Gänsekeule' (goose leg), 'Hähnchenkeule' (chicken leg), 'Putenkeule' (turkey leg), or 'Lammkeule' (leg of lamb).
EXAMPLE
Im Restaurant bestellte er eine knusprige Entenkeule mit Rotkohl.
In the restaurant, he ordered a crispy duck leg with red cabbage.
Figurative use
In the figurative meaning, 'Keule' (club/heavy-handed measure) is often combined into a new word. The first word describes the type of drastic measure, e.g. 'die Chemiekeule' (strong chemicals/chemical hammer) or 'die Moralkeule' (strong moral accusation/morality club).
EXAMPLE
Manche Leute greifen bei jeder Kleinigkeit sofort zur Gesetzeskeule.
Some people immediately reach for the legal hammer over every little thing.
Negative meaning
The use of 'Keule' (club/heavy-handed measure) in the figurative sense is always negative or critical. It expresses that a measure is perceived as exaggerated, unfair, or too aggressive.
EXAMPLE
Sein Chef hat die Kündigungs-Keule geschwungen, um die Mitarbeiter einzuschüchtern.
His boss swung the dismissal hammer to intimidate the employees.
Compare with
Keule vs Oberschenkel
thigh
'Oberschenkel' and 'Keule' can both have to do with the upper part of an animal's leg. 'Oberschenkel' is the neutral word for the body part in humans or animals. In this meaning, 'Keule' is used mainly for a piece of meat, for example from poultry, lamb, or game. The words can be confused because a 'Keule' comes from the thigh area. When talking about anatomy or pain, you say 'Oberschenkel'. When talking about eating, cooking, or shopping, 'Keule' is more natural.
Keule
Erik legt die Keule mit Kartoffeln in den Ofen.
Erik puts the leg in the oven with potatoes.
Oberschenkel
Die Ärztin untersucht den Oberschenkel, weil Paul dort starke Schmerzen hat.
The doctor examines the thigh because Paul has severe pain there.
In real life
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